Mother in rehab gets help with newborn

For the first time in Barbados, a mother has been able to take her newborn child with her into rehab.

Thanks to donations of baby items, through a partnership involving the National Organisation of Women (NOW), Soroptimist International and Women of Purpose Ministry, the mother is able to receive therapy without having to worry about how her child’s needs will be met.

Soroptimist provided the supplies while Women of Purpose has made child care services available for the baby to be looked after, particularly when the mother is at group therapy sessions.

NOW’s president Marsha Hinds said the three organizations have taken on the responsibility of providing diapers and milk for the baby, in an effort to help the mother overcome her personal challenges.

She noted that, oftentimes, one of the coexisting factors with women staying in abusive relationships is substance abuse.

“So this is an example of one of our preventative programmes. It is not only about working with women who are in the clutches of intimate partner violence but also finding solutions to the challenges that arise in women’s lives, to be able to move them past these vulnerabilities, because these vulnerabilities unaddressed are what end women sometimes in some very poor relationships,” Hinds said.

“But we also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the public to be able to support this particular drive. We need pampers for the baby, we need milk to be able to continue supporting the mother as she does her stint.”

The NOW president noted that Soroptimist recently launched a food bank to support an increasing number of women in need.

Programme director with Women of Purpose Ministry, Cheryl Griffith said it is part of the organisation’s mandate to help young women who are experiencing difficulties, are vulnerable and need assistance.

“We are doing our part giving back to the community and helping women in general. One of our members who are trained actually go and babysit while the mother is at therapy,” she said.

President of Soroptimist International Barbados Krystle Maynard said the organisation was pleased to continue serving the community by donating food items to those in need, as seen in its recently launched COVID-19 Food Bank.

“We will do our part as best as we can to assist those women and families who continue to be negatively impacted by this pandemic. We were motivated to start this because we were getting increasing calls for our services and we recognise that many more people are in need right now. The pandemic has affected women’s employment, especially in women-led households. This initiative is seeking to ease some of that burden. The public is invited to join us and donate to our COVID-19 Food Bank as well,” Maynard said.

(anestahenery@barbadostoday.bb)